I laughed out loud at this video, so I had to share with you.  Hopefully, this isn't you!
 

Shoppers at Loblaw company grocery stores are being warned not to eat a batch of President's Choice cookies that may contain metal fragments.

The company announced the warning Tuesday around store-baked President's Choice Decadent Chocolate Chunk Cookies.

"The product may contain small round, one millimetre in diameter, metal pieces," the company stated in a release circulated by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

The cookies, which are sold in packages of eight in the bakery department, have the UPC number 0 6038383903 8.

 

I love country living. However, there are some drawbacks. Gravel roads are murder on my car! I have to drive the kids where ever they need to go. And running to the corner store isn't as simple. I love the peace and privacy of our farm. But sometimes it's a little isolated. And hooking up isn't easy. Right now we're on dial up internet. Until recently the only option available was expensive wireless. Enter, the internet stick! Sounds like a great idea. Plus, you can take it with you where ever you go! Some people have told me that they don't always work in rural areas either. I need to hear from anyone who has an internet stick. How's it working for you? Is one kind better than the other? Let me know! Looking forward to joining the modern world......

You may have heard the news today, that 91 per cent of us aged 6 to 79 have Bisphenol A in our urine.

For those of you unfamiliar with Bisphenol A, or BPA, it is essentially a synthetic hormone linked to cancer, or child development problems.

I researched the dangers of BPA on a web site called thegreenestdollar.com.

BPA is not only in plastic bottles, it is also in the plastic lining of canned goods. Over time, the BPA leaks out into whatever food or water it is containing.

Children especially are susceptible to the adverse health effects of BPA, since their brains and bodies are still developing.

BPA has also been shown to decrease sperm count in lab studies, as well as impact testes development. And in this article published in TIME, BPA might also be causing diabetes, aggressiveness, heart disease, and decreased sensitivity to chemotherapy in cancer patients.

There is a study showing that BPA exposures lead to an error in cell division that causes spontaneous miscarriages, cancer, and birth defects in people, including Down Syndrome

But wait, there's more! An investigation found BPA can spur the formation and growth of fat cells, and lead to obesity.

Another study links BPA to insulin resistance, which is a risk factor for Type II Diabetes.

A study published on health Canada's web site shows BPA was detected in almost all 78 canned food products tested; the BPA level in only one product (tomato paste) was below the method detection limit (MDL) of 0.60 ng/g*.

Canned tuna products had the highest BPA levels, in general, with average and maximum BPA levels of 137 and 534 ng/g*, respectively. Canned soup products had the next highest BPA levels. BPA levels in the condensed soup products were considerably higher than those in the ready-to-serve soup products, with average and maximum BPA levels of 52 and 94 ng/g* for the condensed soup compared to 15 and 34 ng/g* for the ready-to-serve soup.

Health Canada claims all of these levels are within acceptable limits. But what if you consume a lot of these products? The Environmental working group says the safety guidelines for BPA are out of date, and so called safe levels are over 25 times the amount known to cause birth defects.

If you want to avoid BPA, you should use glass or stainless steel to store food. Never heat plastic in the microwave, or wash it in the dishwasher. Don't put hot food or liquid into plastic containers.

Avoid plastics #3 and #7 for food storage. You should also consider eliminating canned food from your diet.

 

 

 Obviously, a 17-year, $102 million contract is a bad idea.

Not only does it contribute to a trend of out of control salaries in professional sports, it proves the big market teams are treating the salary cap as a joke...

Teams are trying to circumvent the salary cap.by offering a long term contract, with high pay outs in the first several years...and low pay in the remaining years...to bring about a lower average yearly salary.

The Ilya Kovalchuk deal would have set a precedent if it was allowed to go ahead. Next, we'd start to see 25 year -100 million dollar deals. It's time to draw the line.

The salary cap is essential for the survival of NHL hockey in Canada!

Despite the decision , this deal could be the start of one of the most bitter battles in NHL history .

Expect to see this become an ugly point of contention during collective bargaining in 2012.

Another lockout could be suicidal for the NHL. It is a real possibility in light of continuing financial uncertainties and an increasing number of NHL franchises operating in the red.

These high payout, long term deal are also bad news for the players, as escrow entitles players to a certain ratio of league wide revenue.

However, when combined payrolls continue to top that amount, the players actually have to give back some of their paycheque to the owners.

 

Well, I did it again!! I went up against Jay Stevens in Locking Horns, and WON! That makes it 4 wins for Mac, and NONE for Jay!!!

Here's my winning argument:

While it may appear Chicago Blackhawks are having some sort of fire sale by dumping players from their payroll at a rapid pace, I believe they will still be contenders.

Antti Niemi is the latest to go despite the fact that he back stopped the hawks to their first stanley cup since 1961.

However, the Hawks will still have a great veteran goalie in Marty Turco.

Admittedly, Chicago is dumping some good players, and making some major changes.

It may look like the hawks are gutting their team, but upon closer inspection you can see that is not true.

They still have some great players:

Note Jonathan Toews is still there, as is Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa and Duncan Keith

Mix in Brent Seabrook, Patrick Sharp, Dave Bolland, and Brian campbell.

Obviously, the team is not gutted.

No need to get dramatic, the Stanley Cup Champs still boast a solid line up!

 

Despite a study in the journal "psychological Science" that doing nothing leaves you unfulfilled and without purpose, I totally believe in the value of free time.

Now everyone needs a purpose, and if you have too much time on your hands, of course you'll start to question why you're even here. But these days, I think families have a tendency to over schedule .

Children's days are filled up with day camp, clubs, chores, sporting activities, and outings. When I was a kid I used to love waking up in the summer knowing the day was an empty slate that I could fill up however I wanted. I could hang out with friends, or I could just lay out in the sun.

Some people feel the need to be on the go all the time. And that's fine. But some of us just need a rest. If you're a parent, you'll understand where I'm coming from, because there never really is any free time. The work is never really done. There are always meals that must be prepared, dishes that have to be washed, laundry waiting to be done, and dirty floors that should be cleaned. The grass keeps growing, and the weeds continue to infest the garden.

That's why I'm heading out camping this weekend, because the only way I'll ever get away from all of the chores is to actually go away. And I know we'll be really busy over the weekend, mountain biking, hiking, kayaking, swimming and cooking on the campfire. But I'm really looking forward to taking some time to just kick back in my lawn chair , and watch the clouds go by. So add relaxation to your list of things to do. Relaxing is doing something. It's recharging!

I was fortunate enough to get a ride on the BULL BUS to Alice Cooper at Rock the Park in London Friday. This is the second time I had the chance to see Alice Cooper in concert. I have to say his show is still just as rockin' , energetic and theatrical as the last time I saw him at Lulu's in Kitchener 15 years ago!!!

Alice opened the show with the fan favorite School's Out. He incorporated all of the usual props such as a baby doll, for Billion Dollar Babies, and a mannequin for Cold Ethyl. He also brought out the guillotine and the electric chair. Alice was suspended from the top of the stage for the opening of Vengeance Is Mine.

The Show wrapped up with School's Out. That's when Herd member and draw winner Wendy Moos of Hanover got to go on stage with Alice. Moos ran up on stage in her Bull shirt, and threw some huge balloons toward the crowd. Wendy was nervous about the gig---worrying perhaps she might have to play with a snake--but didn't let that stop her from taking the opportunity of a lifetime! Afterwards, I asked Wendy if it was a rush. She said it sure was. The stage manager grabbed her from the back stage entrance where she waited, rushed her to the stage, she ran on stage for a few minutes, then was rushed off the stage, and back out front!!

After the show, about 40 people had the chance to join a meet and greet with Alice Cooper. After playing for a couple of hours on stage during a heat wave, Alice was a class act. He was friendly with everyone. He posed for pictures and signed whatever anyone handed to him. My son, Jesse, got Alice to sign his shirt. He bought an Alice Cooper shirt at the show, but it was black, so he didn't think the autograph would show up very well. So he got Alice to sign the shirt he wore to the show, which more or less said " I'm amazed at how many people will waste their time reading this stupid shirt." Alice signed it: "Alice Cooper read this!" After meeting a whole room of people, Alice had to hop on the tour bus and head to Montreal. All I can say is I'm proud to have Alice Cooper doing his evening show on the BULL!

Peter Frampton was also at Rock the Park on Friday. He had the whole crowd groovin'. Night Ranger was highly entertaining. The show opened with Alannah Myles who wrapped up with Black Velvet.

 

 

THE FIVE BEST FOODS TO STOCKPILE FOR AN EMERGENCY:
It's Tornado season, so "Real Simple" magazine made a list of the five best foods to stockpile for an emergency.

#1.) PEANUT BUTTER. It's a good source of energy, and it's full of healthy fat and protein. And you don't have to refrigerate it.
#2.) GRANOLA BARS AND POWER BARS. You can usually store them for six months to a year, and they're a great source of carbs.
#3.) DRIED FRUIT. You want raisins and prunes, because they have a lot of potassium and dietary fiber. And obviously they'll last a lot longer than grapes or plums.
#4.) CANNED MEAT. According to their labels, cans of tuna, chicken, and SPAM will last about two years if they're not opened. But they'll actually last about FIFTY. That said, you should check the expiration dates at least once a year. And if anything in your emergency kit is about to go bad, just use it and replace it.
#5.) BOTTLED WATER. It's by far the most important thing to have in an emergency, because the average person needs a half-gallon of water a DAY.
And according to this article, you need a two-week supply for each person in your house. So that means for a family of four, you're supposed to store 28 gallons of water...If you've got even a LITTLE bit of fat on your body, you can actually go WEEKS without food. But you can only survive a few DAYS without water.

A Herd Member sent in some interesting facts about both Coke and Water. Some information here that you probably didn't know but should be aware of!

Facts About Water

-75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.

-In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger.

-Even MILD dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as much as 3%.

-One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University of Washington study.

-Lack of water is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.

-Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.

-A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.

-Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.

(For a listing of the sources of the information about water, see [ http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/w/water.htm ]Truth or Fiction)

Facts About Coke

-In many states (in the USA) the highway patrol carries two gallons of coke in the truck to remove blood from the highway after a car accident. (Unproven, however, it is reasonable to assume that it's true since phosphoric acid can dissolve rust and
grease and was used by the steel industry to clean products.)

-You can put a T-bone steak in a bowl of Coke and it will be gone in two days. (Unproven, but fun to consider.)

To clean a toilet: Pour a can of Coca-Cola into the toilet bowl and let the "real thing" sit for one hour, then flush clean. (Source: [ http://www.howtocleananything.com ]

The citric acid in Coke removes stains from vitreous China. (Source: Columnist Heloise)

To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers: Rub the bumper with a rumpled-up piece of Reynolds Wrap aluminum foil dipped in Coca-Cola. (Source: According to Joey Greene's [ http://www.wackyuses.com ]http://www.wackyuses.com )

To clean corrosion from car battery terminals: Pour a can of Coke over the terminals to bubble away the corrosion. (This is true of a lot of carbonated beverages.)

To loosen a rusted bolt: Applying a cloth soaked in Coke to the rusted bolt for several minutes. (Source:[ http://www.howtocleananything.com ]www.howtocleananything.com, the popular household hint guru Mary Ellen)

To bake a moist ham: Empty a can of Coca-Cola into the baking pan, wrap the ham in aluminum foil, and bake. Thirty minutes before the ham is finished, remove the foil, allowing the drippings to mix with the Coke for a sumptuous brown gravy.

To remove grease from clothes: Empty a can of coke into a load of greasy clothes, add detergent, and run through a regular cycle. The Coca-Cola will help loosen grease stains. (Source: [ http://www.howtocleananything.com ]

The active ingredient in Coke is phosphoric acid. Its pH is 2.8. It will dissolve a nail in about 4 days (Unproven). Phosphoric acid also leaches calcium from bones and is a major contributor to the rising increase in osteoporosis (Source: [
http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/pulse/scripts/00_01/teen_health.html ]UC Davis Health System).

Now the question is, would you like a coke or a glass of water?

Studies have shown The phosphoric acid present in soft drink competes with the hydrochloric acid of the stomach and affects its functions---causing indigestion, gassiness or bloating.

Kidneys are less able to excrete phosphoric acid when it is in excess. Thus, there is extra work for the kidneys.

Soft drinks remove Calcium from the body, causing an excess amount of Calcium that tends to be deposited in the kidney, resulting in kidney stones.